I think a hunter hunting with buckshot within 50-60 yards and closer is more ethical than a hunter using a 7 Mag who tries to hit a running deer or a deer at 400 yards. That 400 yards is just most people. Some do practice at 400 yards and are dead on but most try and can't shoot worth a darn at 100 yards.

Part of the problem is also a misunderstanding of how wounded deer "slowly" die over the course of several weeks from something like an infection.
Just like the birds, if the deer is hurt something in nature will get a hold of it long before it dies from an infection.
Has anyone here ever come across a mortally wounded deer rotting in the deep woods? I sure haven't. I have run across a few carcasses that hunters almost certainly wounded, but coyotes obviously finished the animal off.

For a good while my area of the country had no wolves, large cats, coyotes, bears, etc. Maybe it happened then, but I don't think it does now.

Will it take days to get weakened to the point something can take it? Maybe. Will being killed by coyotes be a pleasant death? I imagine not. Is it less natural than falling within 60 yards from a double lung and heart shot? Probably not.

As long as the hunter understands the limitations of the weapon and load and behaves appropriately, I don't think there's a problem with buckshot.

I have killed two deer with 12ga. 3" 00 Buck. I was carrying my do-all 11-87 on the way to do some maintenance on my deer stand in the middle of the day. I knew there was a chance of seeing deer at close range and that's exactly what happened. I came over the top of a rise and there they were. I shot the first one at 15 yds and it was DRT. The second one ran and stopped at about 30 yds. I shot it too and it went down but looked like it might get up. One more shot and it was finished. Killing two deer per day is legal in SC, my freezer was full and I was done hunting for the year.

I've also finished a deer that was wounded and lost by another hunter with a rifle. One front leg was broken and the other was shot through the meat. Bad shots and wounded deer are possible regardless of the weapon.

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To a much greater extent than most mechanical devices, firearms are terribly unforgiving of any overconfidence, complacency or negligence.

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